Quentin Pongia trails skipper Matthew Ridge before a Warriors game in Auckland. Sean Hope at the rear
MONDAY NOVEMBER 10
St Helens’ owner Eamonn McManus has told new coach Paul Rowley he will pay out the contracts of any players Paul doesn’t want. That’s the word from English league media figure Terry Holmes who is in Australia on holidays with his wife Joyce. Terry, who lives in Tyldesley in Wigan Borough, keeps close tabs on the Euro League scene, given he also has a house in league heartland in France – in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Two Australians who played for Villeneuve – Test forward, Paul Sironen and Wynnum-Manly back Steve Plath – visited the Lot Valley town earlier this year. Terry says there are improvements taking place at the small stadium of Villeneuve satelite club, Pujols. Kiwi Test forward, the late Quentin Pongia had a house in Villeneuve, where he played a season. After playing for Canberra Raiders, Quentin played with Wigan in England and Terry recalls him doing 200 sit-ups AFTER a game. Wigan’s Irish winger, Brian Carney, now a commentator with FoxSports, says Pongia was the scariest man he played with or against.
Marie and I have morning tea with Terry and Joyce at Peach Cafe, Auchenflower, which is packed with mums and their kids. Then the Holmes are guests for lunch at our place at Samford Grove.
Learn of the passing of John Lutteral, 83, a devoted Norths’ Devils rugby league supporter who I would see now and then in the can bar at Norths’ home ground, Bishop Park. John’s son David is a noted radio announcer in Brisbane.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
The Remembrance Day service at Canungra is poorly attended, something which surprises me given it is a barracks town. Mind you, the biggest services would be happening in the nearby Kokoda Barracks where our nephew, Xavier Ricketts is an officer. (He tells me later that their service was held at the Vietnam Memorial). Marie and I and Terry and Joyce Holmes watch the village service from the verandah of a Cafe next to the memorial. We enjoy lunch at St Bernard’s Hotel on Mt Tamborine where jerseys from the local Bushrats rugby league team are on display in the public bar. Their most famous recent player was former Test prop Sam Backo. There is also a St George Rugby League poster, perhaps betraying the NRL allegiances of the publican. In the United States our friends Russell and Jannell Bryant are in Winchester, Virginia for Veterans’ Day. He is former US Navy, she is an Aussie.
My sister Gay Lynch and her husband David do a four wheel drive course at Chinchilla on the Darling Downs and then celebrate with a beer at the Club Hotel, which dates back to 1907.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Marie and I attend the Requiem Mass Funeral Service for neighbour Barry McPhee at Sacred Heart Church, Samford, and the coffin is blue as per Barry’s wishes. Barry and Margaret McPhee’s sons Peter and Matthew deliver eulogies. Peter, who played Sheffield Shield cricket for Tasmania, tells a couple of terrible Irish jokes at the wake at Samford Grove. Barry would have loved them.
Our eldest son Damien visits Dulwich College in London where his mate, Pat Whibley is a teacher. Damien, who attends First XV rugby training, is impressed with the staff-bar and the James Caird, the lifeboat used by Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in his epic 800 mile voyage to get help for his stranded men. Damien, with his league background, is asked by some members of the Rugby staff to offer his thoughts on defence in the backline.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
The Lighthouse Restaurant at Cleveland is the venue for lunch with Terry and Joyce Holmes. The food and service is excellent. Terry says Roosters supremo Nick Politis bought 200 Greece Rugby League jerseys to be distributed on his home island of Kythera. Terry knows this because he is good mates with Terry Liberopoulis, editor of Rugby League Review, who has one of the jerseys, with the Kythera name on the front.
Evidently Australian director Baz Luhrmann is doing a Joan of Arc movie. He should do one on Joan Sutherland.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Former BBC Producer Jo Carr followed Hull FC (rugby league) when the family moved to the city on England’s east coast (Hull boasts another professional rugby league club – Kingston Rovers – as well as a soccer/football team, Hull City). “I remember the family going to Wembley in a mini-bus,” she says. Jo and I chat in the library here at Samford Grove Over-65 village where we reside.
On Radio SEN host Corey Parker says in the days of big Kangaroo tours the players only had to turn out in 15 or so club games before the tours left, which, of course is rubbish. For example, in 1982 Wally Lewis would have played 25 or more club games as well as six rep games before leaving on the 22 match tour of Britain and France.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Marie (nee Donnelly) and I enjoy a seafood buffet and drinks (Arras sparkling wine) to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We were married in 1975 at St Carthages Cathedral Lismore with Fr Darcy McCarthy the celebrant. Our honeymoon was spent at Narooma on the NSW South Coast. Our big 50th wedding anniversary gift to each other was a Euro/Britain trip earlier this year (see this website). The 50th wedding anniversary card I buy is made in China. Fifty years ago that card probably would have been made here.
Earlier today Marie had been to movies with fellow Samford Grove residents Sue Whitehead, Christine Dawson and Ann Duncan. The movie – ‘If I had Legs I’d Kick You’. “Depressing and hard work,” says Marie. My sister Gay Lynch and husband, David attend the Roma races.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Richard, a caller to ‘Macca’ (Ian McNamara) on ABC Radio works in a gold mine in Papua New Guinea and says the business sponsors the local rugby league side, which won its competition. “They are rugby league mad up here,” comments Richard. True. PNG is the only country in the world where Rugby League is the national sport. Macca says PNG was influenced by Queensland while the Northern Territory (where Australian rules is the main sport) was influenced by South Australia. They do play Aussie rules in PNG and I recall PNG rep teams coming to the Gold Coast to play in the 1960s and 70s. In the 1960s and 70s France was still strong enough to be afforded regular Test matches against fellow league power houses Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand and France won their share. Now France are reduced to playing the likes of Jamaica. At least they have win against Jamaica today, in Albi, a city divided between league and union. Former French skipper, Giles Dumas is part of the television commentary team in Albi. The win assures France of a place in the Rugby League World Cup to be held in Australia in 2026.
In ‘The Saturday Paper’ my former Telegraph work colleague Mike Seccombe says the late John Laws – a radio broadcasting icon – was easily manipulated by politicians.
About Author
